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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27215887">Heart eyes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerriewinkleNerdie/pseuds/PerriewinkleNerdie'>PerriewinkleNerdie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Open Heart (Visual Novels)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Humor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:34:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,747</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27215887</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerriewinkleNerdie/pseuds/PerriewinkleNerdie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Missing scene from chapter 18. Ethan spends some time bonding with the gang as they cook dinner together.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Heart eyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello, hello, hello! How are you guys? After PB basically skipped over weeks if not months of precious time (we could have had so many dates with Dr. Grumpy in that time), and robbed us of any opportunity for E and the gang to bond, I decided to take it upon myself to yeet them into the same space and make them talk. And they do get along :D<br/>Enjoy! &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ethan’s fingers found another point of tension, working it away to her relief. He knew for a fact that she hasn’t had good night’s sleep in months, no matter how many of those were spent with him by her side. Her hair was brushed over her shoulder and out of the way, granting his hands the freedom of movement along her shoulders.</p>
<p>“Ethan?” she asked quietly, turning her head to the side slightly so he could hear her more clearly. Ethan hummed in acknowledgement, continuously massaging her sore muscles. “I’m about to ask for what I need.”</p>
<p>“Oh, really?” his moves halted, the tips of his fingers tickling her skin. “I believe that’s called ‘progress’. Maybe you can teach me that art one day.”</p>
<p>Claire leaned back into his touch, smiling knowingly at the memory of their first encounter. “So, we will get those private lessons after all, huh?”</p>
<p>“Who could have known at the time. But I’m distracting you.” Ethan leaned forward, pressing a warm kiss to her hair. “Ask away.”</p>
<p>Slowly, she traced the outlines of his forearms, then tangled her fingers with his, giving them a squeeze. “I need you to take me home.” She muttered, then let go of him to turn around, sliding her hands up his neck to hold his face. “Cook with my friends. Drink wine. Maybe get persuaded by Elijah to watch another one of the John Carpenter movies.” With each statement, she stroked his cheek softly, the tired smile of hers growing more and more. “Then hold me tight when we fall asleep in my bed.”</p>
<p>Ethan adjusted his grip on her, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her closer. “That’s… oddly specific.” He mused, brushing his nose against hers tenderly. “It’s also exactly what I need as well.”</p>
<p>“Look at us, already killing this learning thing.” She laughed, sighing happily at the comfort of their relationship.</p>
<p>It’s been months since the gala, and by now, most of the gossip has stopped. Of course, nurses still liked to observe the two of them as they walked down the halls of the hospital, whispering about the way their hands brushed against one another or how they were convinced they saw Ethan’s eyes soften each time he even so much as looked at Claire.</p>
<p>And for the record, they absolutely did. But Ethan would never confirm such ridiculous rumors.</p>
<p>Naveen was the person that collected all the information about the newest gossips that were circling within the walls of the hospital, frequently teasing his protégé with it. Claire grinned every time she saw Ethan’s cheeks flare up in a blush, shaking her head in amusement.</p>
<p>He wasn’t big on displays of affection at work, so it was a surprise to everyone, and especially to Ethan himself, when he reached for her hand as they were walking out of the hospital after a particularly ridiculous rumor about them splitting up reached his ears. She was stunned too, but one look into his eyes told her everything she needed to know, and she didn’t question it.</p>
<p>“I had a good teacher.” He gestured towards the door, asking silently if she was ready to leave. Claire nodded, kissing him softly before stepping away to gather her things.</p>
<p>~~~~~~</p>
<p>“We’re home!” Claire exclaimed upon crossing the threshold, leaving her coat in the hall along with her shoes. Her bag got left in her room in the passing, along with Ethan’s, both of those gestures done with practiced ease.</p>
<p>“What is that smell?” he asked, walking into the kitchen a few seconds before his partner did. An open flame stopped him dead in his tracks, his arm retreating to stop Claire from walking any further and getting burned by accident.</p>
<p>Aurora was standing next to the stove, a spatula in her hand and a look of pure horror on her face. Fire was ignited by the alcohol she added to the pan that contained what seemed to be the beginnings of a risotto, rice burned around the edges and the remains of what must have been whiskey boiling away with an angry sizzle. Ethan turned the burner off, then turned towards the young doctor.</p>
<p>“Did you add a whole cup of whiskey into the risotto?” his eyebrow shot up, the corners of his lips quivering as he fought a smile. Aurora huffed, throwing the towel onto the counter.</p>
<p>“How was I supposed to know not to do that? The recipe said ‘add a cup of alcohol’, it didn’t say ‘add a cup of alcohol, but not whiskey’!”</p>
<p>“Not just whiskey.” He corrected her, taking the pan and throwing its contents into the bin, then transferring the dish into the sink. “Any alcohol with high percentage. Basically, anything that will have an aggressive reaction with fire is a no-go unless you know how to flambe.”</p>
<p>He saw her distraught expression, nodding towards the cabinet with a grin. “Get the ingredients, I’ll show you all how it’s done properly. But get dry white wine this time, we’ve had enough flames to last us for the next month at the very least.”</p>
<p>Claire watched the whole exchange with a wide smile. Half a year ago, the vision before her was a mere dream, and a very unlikely one at that. After he made their relationship very well known to the public, he started spending more time with her outside of work, and that also included her apartment. By extension, it meant that he started hanging out around her friends and came to the conclusion that he could actually get used to it; enjoy it, even.</p>
<p>Bryce, who was joining them for dinner, walked into the kitchen too, placing two glasses on the counter and filling them with wine, passing one to Claire and the other one to Ethan. The attending took a sip, humming appreciatively at the taste.</p>
<p>“I bought the wine myself.” Bryce grinned, taking a step away further into the room as a precaution before he said his next words. “I don’t trust Varma’s choices and Claire wasn’t shopping with us.”</p>
<p>Jackie sent him a death glare, drumming her nails against the table. “Lahela, I will bust your kneecaps if you insult my taste in alcohol one more time.” Bryce laughed, shaking his head while turning towards her, then fell silent when he saw her expression.</p>
<p>Ethan walked Aurora through the art of making risotto, explaining everything as he went. Claire, who normally would be doing all the cooking along with Sienna, sat on the bar stool, nursing her glass of wine and watching her significant other work. When he turned around to supervise the cook on the steaks, he caught her staring, and an adoring smile pulled on the corners of his lips, staying there long after his eyes left her.</p>
<p>“Herondale, tone down the heart eyes, the amount of love is making me sick.” Jackie grinned, punching her friend’s shoulder playfully.</p>
<p>Ethan felt his muscles freeze. In his peripheral vision, he could see Claire’s doing the exact same thing. The L-word didn’t frighten him as much as it used to, and he would be lying if he said that the word wasn’t attached to Claire’s face in his mind, but he still felt a shiver run down his spine when he thought about expressing his feelings fully to her, even if the said shiver was that of anticipation and not fear.</p>
<p>He winked at her playfully when their eyes met again, the gesture such a surprise to her that her mouth fell open, accompanied by an amused smirk. Shrugging his shoulders, he went back to work.</p>
<p>Not long after, they were all seated by the table, digging into their food and joking around. Claire slid her chair closer to Ethan’s, her explanation being that they needed to accommodate for more people, but they both knew that the reason was, obviously, entirely different.</p>
<p>Ethan wasn’t as subtle with his flirtations as she was, sending her looks that were positively charged with affection. The blush couldn’t seem to leave her cheeks, and neither could the delighted smile that resided on her lips. Sienna and Aurora nudged each other with their elbows upon seeing the silent exchanges between the pair, giggling quietly.</p>
<p>Elijah turned on the movie as the others cleaned the table and kitchen, after which all of them refilled their glasses and made their way towards the couch. Ethan took his usual spot on the far end of the furniture, with Claire’s legs thrown over his as she sat next to him. With his hand residing on her thigh, her fingers running through his hair absentmindedly and them holding each other’s unoccupied hands, they were the picture of perfect contentment and utter infatuation. A picture that, after months of being together, wasn’t something they would give up easily.</p>
<p>An hour into the movie, Claire turned into Ethan even further, draping her arm across his chest and resting her head over his heart, its steady rhythm enough to lull her to sleep. He embraced her tightly, running his hand over her skin in soothing manner, looking down at her from time to time to check in on her.</p>
<p>The next time he averted his eyes from the movie to gaze down at her, his blue irises didn’t meet her green ones. Tucked into his arms and listening to his heartbeat, she fell asleep, her face spelling out peacefulness, her whole body relaxed.</p>
<p>Ethan looked around the room to see if anyone else was sleeping as well, but everyone was focused on what was happening on the screen. He stretched his legs, adjusting his hold on Claire before turning to speak to the rest of their company.</p>
<p>“I’m going to carry her to bed. I’ll see you all tomorrow.” Ethan muttered, nodding his head in their general direction before standing up. As he went towards her bedroom, he could hear snide remarks from them; ones that he chose to ignore with a shake of his head and a helpless smile.</p>
<p>Once in the tranquility of her room, he laid her down on her bed and placed her duvet over her, tucking her in on one side, just the way she liked. He took off his clothes, folding them neatly and leaving them on her armchair. Joining her on the mattress, he took her into his arms and pressed his lips to her forehead in a gentle kiss, muttering against her skin.</p>
<p>“You’re exactly what I need.”</p>
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